SA MASTERS IPT 2020 ANNOUNCEMENT DATE – CAPE TOWN

SA MASTERS IPT 2020 ANNOUNCEMENT DATE – CAPE TOWN

SA MASTERS HOCKEY ANNOUNCEMENT

DATE OF SA MASTERS IPT 2020 – CAPE TOWN

Dear Friends

We refer to our earlier communique announcing the postponement of the SA Masters IPT due to the uncertainty created by the spread of the COVID – 19 virus in which we identified 5-8 November 2020 as the proposed date for the tournament. Our proposal has received overwhelming support and we have therefore decided that the tournament will be scheduled to take place on the aforementioned date. You will no doubt be aware that the 2020 Masters Hockey World Cups have been postponed to 2021 and we did consider the following suit. We are of the view that the risks associated with a World Cup, requiring international travel, do not apply in the same degree to a local tournament and therefore we decided to continue with our chosen path.

As stated in the previous communique, we aim to start the first matches at 12h30 on Thursday, 5 November to allow teams to fly to Cape Town on Thursday morning in an effort to reduce the number of annual leave days required as well as to reduce the accommodation requirement. The finals are planned for Saturday late afternoon with Sunday earmarked as a travel day.

We have heard it said that how can we focus on hockey at a time like this, but we take the view that we have to be positive that this too shall pass and that we shall have the opportunity to play our beloved tournament before the end of 2020. We feel that it will be a highlight that we can all look forward to. We are not negating the challenges that we will face as individuals, families and teams in these times, but we fully expect to prevail.

Having said that, we have to acknowledge that we live in uncertain times and that we may have to cancel the tournament due to circumstances beyond our control such as government intervention or a lack of interest from teams due to changed circumstances. We, therefore, urge you to take precautions in the booking of flights and/or accommodation to ensure that you are able to obtain a refund if necessary.

We shall be re-opening the registration process on 15 August 2020 for final confirmation which will mean that we shall be able to confirm the final team entries by 1 September 2020. It follows that we shall not be refunding the team entry fees at this stage as we fully expect the tournament to go ahead.

We want to urge everyone to act responsibly, stay calm and take all necessary precautions to safeguard yourself and your loved ones. We thank you for your patience and understanding at this time. We are also very thankful for the continued support and understanding of our partners, WP Masters Hockey and Marmalade Sport